Clean technologies play key role in lower emissions: ABARE

The deployment of clean technologies and technology agreements between countries have a key role to play in the future reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to scenarios analysed in a new ABARE report.

The report, Technology: its role in economic development and climate change, was released today by ABARE Executive Director Dr Brian Fisher, and updates the report that was presented at the inaugural meeting of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in Sydney in January 2006.

'Global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are projected to grow significantly in the future, driven by robust economic and population growth,' Dr Fisher explained.

'Collaborative, multilateral technology agreements, such as the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, can play a key role in reducing emissions by increasing the development, uptake and transfer of clean technologies across a range of sectors.'

ABARE's modeling indicates that if low emissions technologies such as hybrid vehicles and advanced electricity generation plant could be expanded worldwide, and key regions use carbon capture and storage technologies in the electricity sector, global greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by about 26 per cent in 2050, compared with what would otherwise have occurred.

This equates to a reduction in global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions of about 14 per cent or 110 gigatonnes of carbon equivalent over the period 2001 to 2050.

Dr Fisher emphasised that although growth in future greenhouse gas emissions is reduced by the widespread uptake of cleaner technologies, greenhouse gas emissions are still projected to grow in the scenarios analysed in the report.

'In order to achieve emissions cuts greater than are analysed in ABARE's report, concerted efforts by industry and government would be required to develop and transfer an additional portfolio of technologies across a wider range of sectors than has been analysed,' Dr Fisher said.

Given the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Dr Fisher emphasised that 'governments have a key role in establishing international policy environments conducive to the development and transfer of low emissions technologies across all sectors of significant economies, and that strategies and technologies for adaptation to climate change should become an increasingly important part of measures to address future climate change'.